State Briefs

1 dead, 1 critically injured in Bald Knob shooting

BALD KNOB, Ark. (AP) - Authorities in White County say one person is dead and another critically injured after a double shooting in Bald Knob.

The White County Sheriff's Office says deputies responded to a shots fired call at about 1:30 a.m. Wednesday at a home on U.S. 167 North. Authorities say one woman was dead and a man was critically injured when deputies arrived.

Both had been shot.

Authorities say the man was taken to a Little Rock hospital for treatment.

The victims' names have not yet been released. Authorities say they've developed two possible suspects in the case and are following up on leads.

Bryant police officer involved in fatal shooting

State police say two officers responded to the burglary call late Tuesday at Fred's Store on Arkansas 5 in Bryant. Authorities say gunfire erupted between an officer and a man who was in a fenced area along the west side of the building.

The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.

State police say the officer was injured in the shooting and taken to a Little Rock hospital, where he was treated and released.

State police are awaiting positive identification of the suspect, but authorities say they believe he's a man wanted on a murder warrant out of Illinois.

Bryant is about 20 miles southwest of Little Rock.

Ark. deputy cleared in shooting that wounded man

JONESBORO, Ark. (AP) - A Craighead County deputy has been cleared in the shooting and wounding of a Brookland man.

A report released Wednesday by prosecutor Scott Ellington says Deputy Brandon Womack was within reason when he shot Steven Honeycutt in the arm during a March 23 traffic stop.

The report says Womack stopped Honeycutt for speeding and an expired tag and that Womack's dashboard camera shows Honeycutt getting out of his pickup truck in an "aggressive" manner before getting back into the truck on Womack's orders.

The report says Honeycutt then got out of the truck when told to - but had an object in his hand that he raised and Womack opened fire.

The object turned out to be a cell phone - but Ellington says Womack acted reasonably under the circumstances.

Ark. panel OKs bill de-funding Planned Parenthood

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Arkansas lawmakers have advanced legislation aimed at cutting off public funding to Planned Parenthood, a move that the organization says could also cut off money to doctors, rape crisis centers and domestic violence shelters.

The Senate State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday endorsed the proposal by Republican Sen. Gary Stubblefield of Branch that would ban the state from awarding grants to entities that perform abortions or abortion referrals.

Stubblefield says the measure is primarily aimed at cutting off sex education grants Planned Parenthood currently receives. But the group says that by barring grants to those who perform abortion referrals, it could hurt other organizations.

The move comes during a session where Arkansas has enacted some of the nation's most restrictive abortion laws.

Ark. chamber backs in-state tuition proposal

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - The state's largest business lobbying organization is joining advocates in urging Arkansas lawmakers to approve extending cheaper in-state tuition rates to some students who came to the country illegally.

The head of the Arkansas Chamber of Commerce/Associated Industries of Arkansas on Wednesday announced his group is backing the proposal by Democratic Sen. Joyce Elliott to grant in-state tuition rates anyone who has attended an Arkansas high school for at least three years and has an Arkansas high school diploma or general education diploma in the state.

Chamber President Randy Zook, University of Arkansas at Little Rock Chancellor Joel Anderson and other advocates briefed the Senate on Elliott's proposal during an hour-long "committee of the whole" meeting.

Elliott's proposal is pending before a Senate committee.

Ark. crews to shift I-530 lanes between LR, PB

WRIGHTSVILLE, Ark. (AP) - Arkansas highway officials say they will have to shift traffic on Interstate 530 between Little Rock and Pine Bluff later this week to accommodate a construction project.

A bridge carrying southbound lanes near the Bingham Road exit south of Wrightsville in southern Pulaski County must be replaced. All traffic will be diverted between Bingham Road and the U.S. 167 exit beginning Friday morning.

The work was to have started earlier this week, but the Arkansas Department of Transportation and Development said Wednesday it had to delay it because of bad weather.

Officials say replacing the Lorance Creek bridge should take about three months once work begins. The construction is part of a roads project recently approved by voters.

Walker giving speech to Arkansas Republicans

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is scheduled to give a speech at a meeting of the Arkansas Young Republicans later this month.

Walker is the featured speaker at the April 30 Reagan Day Dinner event in Fayetteville, Ark.

The speech comes amid growing speculation that Walker is preparing a run for president in 2016. Last week Walker announced that he was working on his memoir to be published later this year.

Walker is a frequent guest speaker at Republican fundraisers and other events across the country. On May 23, he is scheduled to headline a Republican fundraising dinner in Iowa, further fueling talk of his presidential aspirations.

Last month he was a featured speaker at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington.

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State Briefs

BALD KNOB, Ark. (AP) ? Authorities in White County say one person is dead and another critically injured after a double shooting in Bald Knob.